Monday, April 20, 2015

Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, ZTL – a Torah U’Mada Giant

I never met him. But
for me he was a giant. As he was for myriad other Jews in Orthodoxy and beyond.
He had no peers. I Am saddened to report that Rav Aharon Lichtenstein passed
away today at age 81.

He was a Torah giant unlike any other. He was unique in the
sense that he exemplified the Hashkafa of Torah U’Mada (TuM). While there are
many religious leaders that oppose this Hashkafa, some of it based on the belief that study of Mada should never be studied in place of Torah - I believe some of it is
largely based on error. That’s because in truth Torah U’Mada is a very broad
category that encompasses many approaches. No one made that case better than Dr.
Norman Lamm in his book of the same title.

Torah U’Mada is simply the idea that Mada – or worldly knowledge although
secondary to Torah knowledge is a worthy study that ought not be ignored for a variety of reasons. This is why I
include R’ Samson Raphael Hirsch’s Torah Im Derech Eretz (TIDE) as a
subcategory of TuM. Even though adherents of TIDE are quick to deny any
connection to TuM they too are mistaken. They associate it with Dr. Lamm’s personal approach which they reject. Other definitions of TuM can be found in R’ Ahron
Soloveichik’s book, Logic of the Heart, Logic of the Mind.

R’ Lichtensetin' Petirah (passing) is being reported by
many news websites such as VINand even the secular Ha'aretz. And he is being hailed as a Torah giant even by Charedi websites like Matzav and YWN where some of his many achievements are mentioned. But Charedi praise was not always the
case when he was alive. Quite the contrary. It was in fact his very embrace of
secular studies that brought scorn upon him for some right wing circles.

Rav Lichtenstein had once said that his study of English
literature at Harvard University (where he received his PhD) helped him to
better understand certain sections of Tanach. He did not claim that such study
was necessary for others. Surely many Torah giants that never studied English
literature did not necessarily lose out. But for himself he said it was a necessary
component that aided him. This belief on the part of Rav Lichtenstein is an
actual demonstration of one of the primary reasons to study Mada – as an aid to
Torah study. A reason stated by no less a Torah giant than the Vilna Gaon!

When an Israeli Rosh
HaYeshiva (of American background) had heard that he had said this,
he called together his entire Yeshiva and lectured his students about it. He was angered that a Rosh
Yeshiva in any way said that Mada had positive value with respect to Torah study…
and virtually condemned him. Without naming him he said that this
Rosh Yeshiva does not only not know Torah he doesn’t even know Shakespeare! (…having
misheard what R’ Lichtenstein actually had said. He never mentioned Shakespeare.)

That Rosh Yeshiva could not countenance placing value on
anything other than Torah study itself. This is the Charedi Hashkafa of Torah
Only. One may only study Torah until he studies it all (...all of the Talmud and all the Halacha Seforim with all the commentaries ever written on them) and masters it. Only then is one - permitted - to study Mada. Which
is of course a virtual impossibility.

And thus was R’ Lichtenstein denigrated. But he never
flinched… never retracted his views and stood by them until his dying day.

He and I had one thing in common besides our Hashkafos. We
saw Rav Aharon Soloveichik as our primary mentor. I had other influences as well (which I listed in my bio located in the right margin). And of course so too
did Rav Lichtenstein. He considered Rav Hutner, his Rosh HaYeshiva when he
studied at Yeshivas Chaim Berlin to be among the more important influences in
his life. And of course his father in law, Rav Joseph Dov (Yoshe Ber) Soloveitchik when he studied at Yeshiva University (YU).

It makes sense that these three figures influenced his
Hashkafos. All 3 of them advocated the study of Mada. Both Rav Ahron and R’
Yoshe Ber had advanced degrees in Mada. And R’ Hutner (along with Rav Shraga
Feivel Mendelowitz) famously tried to create a college level secular studies
program at Yeshivas Chaim Berlin. They actually got to a point where the New
York Board of Regents had accredited it. The only
reason it never happened is because Lakewood founder and Rosh Hayeshiva, Rav Aharon Kotler said no. He was
considered the Gadol HaDor in the Yeshiva world at the time and when he made a public
policy decision that was the end of it.

Woe is to us. Who will replace this great man? Is there
another Rav Lichtenstein whose genius in both Torah and Mada was so great? Is
there another Torah giant that is also renowned for his expertise in any
subject of Mada? If there is, I haven’t heard about him yet. There are some
names… but I don’t think they quite measure up to him. At least not yet. There
are Torah greats whose Mada is lacking. And there are Mada greats whose Torah
is lacking.

I believe that the reason for this is that the move to the
right has become so strong that Mada has been at best marginalized if not
outright abandoned as a discipline for a Torah student to study. Gone are the
days when a Rosh HaYeshiva at Chaim Berlin advises his students which subject
to take in college – as did Rav Hutner.

Yeshiva University has not produced anyone of that caliber yet.
A lot of students have attended YU over the years and decades since Rav
Lichtenstein was there. But I don’t know of anyone they have produced like him. I suppose that’s because of the nature of a YU that steers most of its students
into career paths other that Torah study. Those in YU that do tend to achieve great heights in Torah study have generally bought into the
arguments of the right and do not seek great achievements in Mada as a goal –
seeing it more as distraction rather than an important area of study.

I realize there are exceptions. More than a few
students at YU do seek excellence in both. But I don’t think there is a critical mass that will produce another Rav Aharon Lichtenstein.

Today we lost more than a Gadol. We lost a man that was the role model for Torah U’Mada in our time… with no apparent heir to follow. Baruch Dayan Emes.

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About Me

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.